Indenting machine



July 9, 1929. A. EPPLER I 1.719.88

INDENTING MACHINE Fila June 20. 1922 Patented July 9, 1929. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW EPPLER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

Application filed June 20,

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for producing, as may be desired, either a single or a double line of indentations along the seams or joints of rubber footwear.

In the process of manufacturing vulcanized footwear, such for example as arctics, the adjacent margins of many of the parts are overlapped and pressed together while in the unVulcaniZed state to form the joints, very little if any thread being used to join any of the parts. After these overlapped joints have been made it is customary to operate upon them'by means of a hand tool comprising a handle having mounted in one end a so-called stitching wheelasmall thin wheel carrying on its periphery a series of comparatively small teeth which form along the joint a line of indentations somewhat resembling a line of stitches. In some cases it is desirable to produce a single line or row of indentations along one edge of the joint, and in others to produce a double row, one along each edge.

According to the present invention, this operation is performed by power, and a single or double row of indentations may be produced at will. The illus 'ated machine comprises a driven roll for feeding the work, a power driven indenting wheel and a second or auxiliary wheel which may readily be thrown into and out of operative position and connected or disconnected with the source of power.

Thisand other features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described as embodied in an illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now tothe accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine in which the present invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation viewed from the left as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the treadle;

Fig. tis a plan view of the means for lock- INDENTING MACHINE.

1922. Serial No. 569,676.

ing and unlocking the auxiliary indenting wheel, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the indenting wheels and the feed roll.

Mounted in an overhanging arm 9 which is rigid with the frame 11 of the machine is a rotary shaft 13 havingfast to its outer end a feed roll 15, said arm being provided at its outer end with a shelf 17 which co-operates with the feed roll in supporting the work. Connected with the frame 11 in a manner which will presently be described is an arm 19 which overhangs the arm 9, said arm 19 having mounted therein a rotary shaft 21 havingfast to its outer end an indenting wheel 23. The arm 19 at its outer end has an upwardly extending bracket 25 to which is pivoted at 27 a bell-crank lever 29 at the lower end of the vertical arm of which is rotatably mounted an auxiliary indenting Wheel 31. In the bracket 25 is formed a segmental groove 32 the center of curvature of which is the axis of the pivot 27; and at each end of the groove is a socket one of which is shown at33 into either'of which a locking pin 35 mounted in the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever 29 may extend. A spring (not shown) tends to urge the pin 35 to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, so that whenever it is opposite one or the other of the sockets 33, it will be projected into that socket and thereby hold the auxiliary indenting wheel 31 either in the operative position shown in Fig. 2 or in an inoperative position distant about 90. In order to withdraw the locking pin from whichever socket it happens to be projecting into, there is pivoted at 37 to the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever 29 a lever 39 the inner end of which is forked and extends beneath the head of the pin 35, and the outer end of which is continually acted upon by a spring 40. With this construction, the operator may at any time press upon the outer end of the lever 39 so as to withdraw the locking pin 35 from the socket and then swing the bell crank lever, together with the auxiliary indenting wheel 31 to move said wheel from operative to inoperative position, or vice versa. \Vhen the auxiliary wheel 31 is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, its axis is in alinement with the axis of the shatt 21 am the peri pherics oi the two wheels 31 and 23 are in register. The indenting wheel 23 is driven .in the direction indicated in Fig. 5

and has projecting from its outer face a lug located at the same distance -11, which is from the axis of the shaft 21 as is a lug 43 on the inner face of the auxiliary wheel 31. With this construction the auxiliary whee. 31 will be driven by the wheel 23, but may be moved from operative to inoperative position, in the manner described above, when desired.

The moving parts of the machine are driven from an electric motor ol the shaft of which is connected by an {)ldhani couplhig- :33 with a worm 5?, said worm meshing with L worm wheel 57 which is loosely mounted men a. driving shaft 59, but may be clutched 1 shait at any time by depressing the no or a. treadie 61 and thereby pulling down upon a treadh rod (33 the upper end of which is piwited at (35 to the horizontal arm 01'? a bell-crank lever 67, said bell-crank being in turn pivoted to the frame of the machine at 69. The details of this clutch mechanism have not been shown since they form no part of (be present invention and any suitable clutch mechanism may be employed. Fast to the shaft 59 is a wide gear 71 which meshes with an idle gear meshing with to the shaft 21. meshes with av large gear the shaft 13. The shaft of the idle gear 73 is mounted in a bracket 81 which carries the overhanging arm 19 and is pivoted about the shaft 59. This bracket is urged at all times to in 'n in a clockwise direct-ion about the shaft 59 as viewed in Fig. 2 by a compression spring 83 in the following manner:

lihitendinc; downwardly from. the bracket 81 is an. arm to which is pivoted at 87 a ,locli S9 having a. projecting cylindrical.por-

whit-his received in one end of 2 gear 73, said last-named av gear which is last The wide gear 71 also s! evc 93 about which the spring 8 coiled. Received in the headed end oi the sleeve is the reduced innc' end of a screw 95 which is threaded through the frame 11 of the machine and has its outer end a hand wheel 97. The purpose of this construction normally to hold the indenting wheels down in operative relation with the feed wheel 15 and to permit the tension of the spring 83 to be varied, it being noted that a. shoulder on the screw 95 coi'itacts with the head of the sleeve 93.

in order to permit the indentin wheels to be raised at any time so as to facilitate presentation oi? the work to the machine, a trcadle rod 99 is pivoted to the bracket 81 so that when the heel end of the tr *adle 61 is depr ssed, the indenting wheels will be 'aised.

7 which is fast to Referring now to 3, the treadle rods and 99 pass respective y through holes in L bar 101 which tasa shaft 105, the

t l e opposite ends of l tcned by a set screw 1023 t holes being of larger diameter than the rods, and tie 'ods having nuts at their lower nds one of which shown at 106. The shaft 105 is rotatable in a bearing in a stationary member 107 and has fast to one end the treadle G1. ll ith this construction, depre 11 of the heel of the treadlc raises the indenting wheels and throws out the clutch; and depression of the toe of the treadle returns the indenting wheels to op crative position and throws in the clutch.

In the operation of the machine, the heel of the treadle is depressed to rz he in- .eiting wheel or wheels from the feed roll 15 so as to facilitate the presentation of the worli The toe of the treadle is then depressed whereby the indenting wheel or wheels are brought down upon the work and both t 1e feed roll and the indenting wheels rotated. The operator guides the work in such manner that the row of indentations is made along one edge of the seam or joint, in case a single row of indentations is desircd, or along, both edges of the joint it a double row is desired. The operator may at any time adjust the bell-crank lever 29 so as to cause the machine to produce a. single or a double row of indentations as may be desired.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular machine, it should be understood that the invention not limited in the scope of it. application to the particular machine which has been shown and described. I,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01" the United States is 1, A machine for forming a row of indentations in a. piece of work having, in combination, a. source oi power, a. rotarv work supporting and 'temlingg' roll, an indenting wheel rotatable about axis which is substantially parzlicl to that M the 'l'eed roll, means for movii'ig; the wheel into and out of operative relation to the feed roll, and means for connecting the wheel with the source oi power when the wheel moved into operative relation with the roll and :tor disconnect:- ing it from the source of power vhen the wheel is moved out of operative relation to the roll. l

2. A machine for forming a r. w of inilentations in a piece of work having". in combination, av source 01'' power, rotary work supporting and, feeding roll, an indenting wheel rotatable about an aXis which is substantially pa *allel to that of the feed roll, means for moving the wheel into and out ot ope rative relation to the feed roll, and n'ieans including a toe-aml-heel treadlc for conill) necting the wheel with the source of power when the wheel is moved into operative relation with the roll and for disconnecting it from the source of power when the wheel. is moved out of operative relation to the roll.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of work and means for producing at will a single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising an indenting tool, a source of power for actuating the tool, an auxiliary indenting tool movable into and out of operative position, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary tool with the source of power.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of work and means for producing at will a single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising an indenting tool, a source of power for actuating the tool, an auxiliary intenting tool movable into and out of operative position, and means becoming operative when the auxiliary tool is moved into operative posi tion for connecting said tool with the source of power.

5. A machine of the class described. havin in combination, means for feeding a I n piece of work and means for producing at will a single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising an indenting wheel, a source of power for rotating the wheel, an auxiliary indenting wheel movable into and out of operative position, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary wheel with the source of power.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of work and means for producing at will single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising an indenting wheel, a source of power for rotating the wheel, an auxiliary indenting wheel movable into and out of operative position, and means becoming operative when the auxiliary wheel is moved into operative positition for connecting said wheel with the source of power.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of work and means for producing at will a single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising two rotary wheels one of which is bodily movable into and out of operative relation to tile work, and means for driving the bodily movable wheel from the other wheel.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding a piece of work and means for producing at will. a single or double row of indentations therein, said last-named means comprising two rotary wheels one of which is bodily movable into and out of operative position in which its axis is alined with the axis of the other wheel, and lugs projecting from the adjacent faces of the wheels whereby the bodily movable wheel is driven from the other wheel when the axes of the wheels are in alinement.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a plurality of rotary tools, a rotary shaft to which one of the tools is fastened, a lever by which the other tool is carried and a pivot for the lever so located that the axis of the last-named tool may be brought into alinement with that of A the first-named.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a plurality of rotary tools, a rotary shaft to which one of the tools is fastened, a lever by which the other tool is carried, a pivot for the lever so located that the axis of the last-named tool may be brought into alinement with that of the first-named, and means for driving one tool from the other.

11. A machine of the class described. having, in combination, a plurality of indenting wheels, a rotary shaft to which one of the wheels is fastened, a lever by which the other wheel is carried and a pivot for the lever so located that the axis of the last-named wheel may be brought into alinement with that of the first-named.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a plurality of indenting wheels, arotary shaft to which one of the wheels is fastened, a lever by which the other wheel is carried, a pivot for the lever so located that the axis of the last-named wheel may be brought into alinement with that of the first-named, and means for driving one wheel from the other. I

13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a work support, an arm overlninging the work support, a shaft rotatably mounted in the arm, an indenting wheel and a gear fast to theshaft, a driving shaft rotatably mounted in the frame of the machine, a bracket by which the arm is carried, said bracket being pivoted about the axis of the driving shaft, a gear on the driving shaft, and an idle gear carried by the bracket and meshing with the gear on the wheel. shaft and with the gear on the driving shaft whereby the bracket may be swung about its pivot while maintaining the gears in mesh.

14. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a source of power, a work support, an indenting wheel, a swinging bracket by which the wheel is carried,

a driving shaft, a treadle, and connections between the treadle and bracket and the treadle and driving shaft such that movement of the treadle in one direction moves the wheel to operative position and connects H10 driving shaft with [110 source of power and movement oi" the (roadie in the opposite (iirociion moves the wheel to inoperative position and dis-connocl'o the driving shaft "from he nonrco of power.

15. Tho combination with means for feeding; :1, piece of work oi 11mins for operatingsin'uiinnoonsiy at will upon one or TTIOYQ localities of the work, said last-named. means comprising a tool, 2.1 source of power for actuating the too], an auxiliary tool. movable into and out of operative position, and means for connecting and disconnecting Said auxiliary tool with the source of power.

In fostimony whereof I have signed my name to this spooifionition.

ANDREV EPPLEP. 

